Whistling hearing aids: Causes and solutions

Does your hearing aid give off an annoying whistling sound? In this article, it is important to understand what causes this and how AudioNova can help you solve this common problem.

Ill-Fitting Earpieces

If a hearing aid is incorrectly shaped or not properly-adjusted to your ear canal, there's a small gap between the device and the walls of your ear. Air and sound waves can escape through this gap, causing amplified sound coming out of the earmold to be picked up and amplified repeatedly by the internal microphone. This causes the microphone to start whistling.

This feedback will generally increase in intensity until satiation. To solve this problem, first check and see if your earpiece fits properly. If it doesn't, contact your hearing care provider or bring your hearing aids to AudioNova and we'll check for faulty earmolds.

Blocked Sound Tubes

If a hearing aid's sound tube is blocked, it can no longer transmit sound correctly. A thorough cleaning may resolve this issue. If it doesn't, you'll need to contact an audiologist, as your hearing aid's sound tube may need to be replaced entirely.

Improper Settings

Occasionally, the problem isn't with your hearing aid's hardware at all. An improperly-configured hearing aid can create a level of feedback similar to a faulty or damaged one. Depending on what kind of hearing aid you use, you may be able to adjust its settings yourself, but we'd still recommend enlisting the help of an audiologist where the configuration is concerned. 

Blocked/Dirty Ear Canal

How clean are your ears?

Take out your hearing aid, and check for any signs of excessive earwax buildup. If you see signs of it, take some hydrogen peroxide in an eyedropper, and apply a few drops into each ear. Wait a few minutes, then rinse your ears out.

Do not use cotton swabs, as this can compact the earwax and make the issue significantly worse. 

Day-to-Day Interference

Whistling may not always be a sign there's something wrong with your hearing aid. Certain types of scarves and hats can cause feedback and interfere with your hearing aid's functionality. Certain actions like hugging someone else can also cause brief periods of feedback.

Faulty Hearing Aid

Last but certainly not least, there's a small chance your hearing aid might simply be in some way faulty. Your best bet is to contact a professional audiologist to have the problem looked at. AudioNova can help with that, regardless of where you purchased them.

Our professional staff can suggest potential solutions to get your hearing aids working properly again - book an appointment today.